Literary icon, legend and flagbearer of Malayalam language

MT sits with a few writers in Kerala, successful in creating an era of writing brilliance. A golden age in Malayalam literature is witnessing a closing down with the passing of the literary giant MT Vasudevan Nair.

It is impossible to think that there will be another writer who can match his might in novels, stories and screenplays. MT's writings, read by generations, will continue to breathe as long as the language Malayalam exists. He is the only writer to have influenced crores of Malayalees in the last century alone. His books sold like hotcakes and he was far ahead in copies sold compared to other veterans in the field. The tag of the emperor fits right for his majestic contribution to the Malayalam language.

In his nascent years of writing, his long name got shrunk to the acronym ‘MT’. In the years to come the, two alphabets transformed into pride and identity of the Malayalam language. Only rare geniuses could pull off success in fields such as short story, novel, screenplay, drama, articles, children's literature, newspaper editor and direction. MT was an anomaly and a rare breed of talent.

Unlike his cohorts, MT espoused solitude as his chief trait. It may have started as a habit or practice but in one interview, the writer delved into the reasons that made him love his aloofness. According to MT, his mind would be galloping with stories during his lonely time and he liked it nevertheless. This chief trait helped him create yarns that would be celebrated for eternity. All of his major writings sprouted from this loneliness. In all of his writings, MT evoked the charms and diverse characters of Kudallur, the native town near the banks of the Nila River.

MT successfully connected the times he lived in with the mythological characters. Randamoozham, Varanasi and Vanaprastha brought the power and beauty of his words. More than a writer, MT was a devoted reader of not just Malayalam writings, but world literature. He put into use this knowledge in his screenplays. He translated much of the world's literature and even introduced Malayalees to the genius of Gabriel García Márquez.

In ‘Vanaprastha’, Vinodini and Karunanmash are lying next to each other in the same room but do not speak to ruin the harmony induced by the silence. It was a pivotal scene and showed how MT's screenplay worked to breathe life into characters. He always took care to keep his youthful curiosity alive. His philosophy prophesied that youth was not restricted to age but thoughts. He kept this notion prime in his mind to weave stories that would attract the youngsters as much as the others.

The writer luminary is now bidding adieu only after letting the world know about the prowess and beauty of the Malayalam language. The world will remember the immortal stories that came from his pen. We at Kerala Kaumudi bow before the legend of Malayalam language.